Lotus has continually stated that it has big plans for the future. One of those being a return to the rallying world, and it will do just that with the all-new Lotus Exige R-GT. Sitting on the Frankfurt floor, the R-GT evokes visions of classic rally cars while also providing a showcase of Lotus’ current and future styling.

The car will compete in the FIA R-GT class, and it tips the scales at 2,646 pounds. Some of that weight comes in the form of class-mandated underside and side protection for driver and passenger, as well as the steel rollcage.

The Exige R-GT is powered by a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine, which produces 302 horsepower. That energy is routed to the wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission. The engine is the same as the one found in the standard Exige, however 34-millimeter air restrictors have been put in place to control the power, as is required by the FIA rulebook for R-GT racing.

Lotus will first offer the Exige R-GT to motorsports customers rather than dive into rallying with its own factory team. Either way, we’re happy to see the Lotus name once again applied to a rally race car. Feel free to read the complete press release after the break.